I believe that the physical universe–the things we can see and touch is not all there is to reality. I believe there is a spiritual world that is just as real (maybe more real) than the one we can see. I have an unshakable intuition that I have a soul–that there is more to my consciousness than neural software. I can’t shake the belief that I’m more than a sophisticated, intelligent, bio-machine. (I know a little bit about machines that appear to think. I am computer programmer and teach Computer Science.)

Can I offer any empirical evidence for these convictions? Not really. Can I use the scientific method to confirm the reality of a world of the spirit? I don’t think so. Of course we have all heard the stories (maybe even read the books or watched the movies) about life after death experiences. Or about encounters with supernatural forces…